U.S. State Department Again Tells Travelers to ‘Reconsider’ Travel to Jamaica

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday reissued its Jamaica travel advisory, once again alerting Americans to “reconsider travel” to Jamaica.

The updated Jamaica advisory alerts travelers specifically to reconsider “due to crime and medical services.”

“U.S. government personnel under Chief of Mission (COM) security responsibility are prohibited from traveling to many areas due to increased risk,” the advisory reads.

COMs are diplomatic officers in charge of diplomatic missions and U.S. offices abroad. The update is an announcement to travelers that COMs are not allowed to travel to certain parts of Jamaica due to crime, meaning they would be unable to assist American tourists who are in trouble in those areas.

Those areas include parts of St. Ann’s Parish, St. Catherine’s Parish, St. Elizabeth’s Parish, Hanover Parish, Kingston and St. Andrew Parish, Manchester Parish, St. Thomas Parish, Trelawny Parish, and Westmoreland Parish.

Those areas also include all of Clarendon Parish, all of Montego Bay on the inland side of the A1 highway, and The Queen’s Drive from San San to Harmony Beach Park.

The general warning in the advisory, which has been in place since last May, focuses on crime in Jamaica.

“Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts,” it says. “Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a conclusive sentence. Families of U.S. citizens killed in accidents or homicides frequently wait a year or more for final death certificates to be issued by Jamaican authorities.”

If travelers are headed to Jamaica, the State Department encourages them to obtain traveler’s insurance, including medical evacuation insurance, before arriving. It also warns travelers should avoid walking or driving at night, avoid public buses, and avoid secluded places or situations.